


Warden Mahariel

by SylvannasBurnas



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/F, F/M, Herald's Rest, M/M, Mabari, Or mabye it will, Solas is an Egg, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Warden Inquisitor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 16:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17984369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylvannasBurnas/pseuds/SylvannasBurnas
Summary: The Warden answers Lelianas call for a peace keeper for the Conclave, only for our dear warden to find a ritual instead.Mahariel is so tired of saving the world from cataclysmic events.





	1. Another Begining

She walks slowly through the snow, Hound ever vigilant beside her. Her search has come up nearly empty handed. Darkspwan blood mixed with dragon blood just gives more time. There is no cure. 

She is headed for the Conclave now, and arrives with little fuss. The Fereldens part like the sea for her. Her Warden blue is ever bright, Silverite armor with Warden Crest on blatant display. Wardens Promise at the hollow of her neck. Long grey hair in a tight braid that blows behind her, Hound in his own armor trotting at her side. She stops and leans against her staff a moment to look up at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. 

Her royal blue dailish Vallaslin- ironic, now the color she chose all those years ago- in full view. Her long pointed ears held up proudly, nicked and scarred as they are. Her Mark is on display, the words unreadable to those who don't read Elvish. She gives these nobles and Mages and Templars not a glance as she mounts the steps to the large doors to the Temple. She remembers these halls, and wonders where the dragon went for a moment. Not her problem, she decides. 

"Warden Commander Mahariel?" The human at the door asks with careful pronunciation, eyes wide as he looks her over. He gets it right, to her mild surprise. His mark is in red at his neck.

"Yes." She does not pause her stride. The doors swing open for her by magic, as she has already conquered this place. "Where is the Divine." 

"This way, Mi'lady." He simpers and hurries to lead her further into the Temple. 

 

 

 

She wakes up and takes stock of her self. Hound is at her feet, and she is in a cot. She is familer with dungeons and stands up. She still has her sword and staff. Strage. The guard at the door opens it and leads her upward. The Chantry, she sees soon. She wonders why there is a glowing hole in her hand. Why it pulses with Old magic she has only felt twice before. Once from a Mirror, the other an Archdemon. 

"Mahareil!" Comes an old friends voice. She smiles and turns to Liliana, opening her arms and hugging her redhead back. She laughs as the other woman lifts her up as she used to to kiss her cheek. 

"It has been too long, Love." She tells her friend as she is set down. "What happened? I only remember walking through the temple doors." 

"The conclave exploded. You and the mutt where the only survivors. I swear that thing is cursed." Mahariel goes still, and closes her eyes a moment as a wave of power rolls over her from her hand. "That mark expands as the Breach does."

"Lily Flower, please tell me I don't have to save the world again." She nearly begs, but in reality she just sounds tired. Liliana watches the light in her eyes dim back down. It reminds her of when Tamlen died. The hope falling away from her like leaves in autumn. 

"I'm sorry, Mahariel." She says softly before leading her out. The Warden Commander stares at the Breach for a long moment with no reaction. A single tear falls, cutting over Mythals Tree before falling from her chin. Liliana shakes her head at Cassandra as she opens her mouth, and her eyes snap to her dearest friend as she speaks again. 

"I thought I could rest." She says to the sky. "Just for a moment." 

Mahariel sighs deeply before turning to Liliana and now Cassandra. She gestures to the Breach and rolls her shoulders back. A snap of her fingers has Hound beside her, ready for battle. She is in Commander mode, and Liliana nods at her next words. 

"Lets go fix this mess." And she leads the way back up the mountain. Cassandra and two men follow, Liliana moving ahead of them. Like old times. 

 

The bridge collapses and she kills both demons before the other three catch their feet. The Seeker watches her work in awestruck silence, as do her men. Mahariel moves with no wasted movement, both sword and magic used with deadly accuracy and punctuality. She has no more time for mistakes. Cassandra knows the small wrinkles around her eyes are of age, but the Warden doesn't act it. The Seeker spys a neat scrawl over the woman's collarbone, one that loops and swirls. She has no clue what it could possibly name. 

"Come on. Lets Keep moving. " the Mark sparks up and she shakes her hand out as she walks, saying "ouch." With such dispasson Cassandra snorts.


	2. Teaching from a Tired Woman

They save the lost scouts and Mahariel heals a slash on Hounds side before she turns to heal Cassandra, who seems very confused by this. Is she worth less than a dog to this legend?

 

They enter the ruined temple and she takes one look at the red Lyrium and sighs deeply before asking what the fuck that is. Varric curses up a streak worthy of Ogrhen and she rolls her eyes at dwarves before leading on- ignoring the sweet lulaby it sings her. She already has one in her head, two is two too many.

The words that echo over the ruined temple are familer and not at the same time. Mahariel looks down at the mark in her palm and wonders why fate has given her another burden to bare. An Archdemon should have been the end of her story. She wishes it was. For a moment she wishes her had let it take her life instead of giving it to Morrigan.

The Pride demon is unexpected. But she has delt with demons before, both in the Fade and out. It is nice to have more than five people helping, though. As Pride falls to its knees and further, Mahariel shoves her hand upward and twists the key. She is lifted to her toes and thrown down, Hound cushioning her fall with practiced skill. 

 

She attempts to stumble back to her feet with the help of her mabari after a few minutes of catching her breath on the ground. A hand is offered to her and she feels another heavy sense of deja vu as she takes it and stands up to look about the temple. The Breach is still there, but it has stopped expanding. The Mark has stopped crawling up her wrist, her fingers are free of the green glowing lines. Without the glow, they look a bit like the elven art her Elders used to carve in the Arevels during the winter. All smooth lines curling together 

Hound barks to her and she ruffles his ears as she examines the people who followed her. Not her people. She refuses to be lamb to the slaughter again. She was not supposed to survive the Archdemon- she knows it. Dead Heros are easy to change. 

"Warden?" Solas asks, drawing her out of her thoughts. "We are returning to Haven now." She nods and turns away to follow the rest. 

 

 

"Liliana, what's our next move." She asks, hands planted on the table after Rodric storms out. "We need men, arms, armor and horses." 

"A mother Giselle has contacted us from the Hinterlands, wants us to help the people there before she helps us get an audience in Val Roxyo." The Spymaster wastes no words, arms crossed and leaning against the fireplace. It runs a with an older time.

"Niether the Mages or Templars will talk to us without influence. " the Ambasador starts. 

"Spread my name around. The Warden Commander Mahareil, Archdemon slayer of the Fith blight calls anyone who wants to live to join our fight against the Breach." She pauses a moment. "I'll have to call in a few favors. The Templars owe me their Order. While we are in the Hinterlands I'll talk to Arl Eamon. I need to send a raven to Alistair- and Zevran, now that I'm thinking about it. Flower?" The Spymasters nods and makes a note. 

Cullen, Cassandra and Josephine watch in awe as the Warden commands the room, moving peices over the maps and writing things down on a paper snatched from the Ambassadors clipboard. The elven woman is a flurry of motion, yet she is the calmest one in the room. She fills up an entire page of names and things to send or words to say to convince them, and Liliana makes a few notes on another to match if those don't work. 

"Now, Commander. How many men do we have now." She straightens up and locks yellow eyes on the ex-templar. 

"Not enough. " he tells her, scratching the back of his neck. Her stern look turns sour, eyes narrowing on him with her next words. 

"I will be frank, Commander. When I ask something like that, I want numbers- NOT assumptions. I had ten people and a dog. You have very much more than that. So when I ask a question to a fellow COMMANDER, answer it realistically please. I was the Ferelden Warden Commander for a reason." Cassandra stiffens up at her tone, and Cullen pales significantly and Josie sends Liliana a stern look. They had forgotten who she was, exactly, in exchange for the lines on her face and the ears on her head. 

"Now, Commander, how many people do we have." The meeting continues with tension from there- but the newborn Inquisition is organized in two hours, troops settled and supplies requisitioned. She has no,more time to waste on being unorganized (she has a long shouting match with the requisitions officers about priority )

 

 

 

She walks out of Haven that night -she knows Solas is following her- to the edge of the lake between the woods and the village. She walks into the trees and calls up her Dailish blood- she falls into a hunters stalk, eyes wolf bright and ears arched high. She thrums her magic out and makes it sing through the Fade in the way her Keeper taught her. She keeps the old ways even now. 

A winny answers her summons and the sound of hooves approaches. She stands straight and opens her arms to the solidified horse that canters up to her. He puts his face to her chest and rumbles as she holds him, petting along his neck and shoulders with coos and praise. 

"Salah, we have to save the world again."she tells the smoke grey horse with an unbelieving voice. "Like an Archdemon wasn't enough for Fate, now I have to stop another monster." She puts her face to her Salahs and sighs. 

"I am tired, old friend." She whispers to him with the wieght of the world in her voice. "I just wanted to rest. Just for a moment." 

 

She sighs again before letting him go and mounting up, heading back for Haven with weary eyes.


	3. Tired of this shit

"Mother Giselle is in the village bellow, Herald." A dwarf scout tells her and she freezes stiff. 

"I am a Warden, Scout Harding. And I am Dailish. Do not call me Herald again." The scout stares at her in shock as she passes by. Hound follows, along with Cassandra, Solas and Varric. 

They get to the village and she moves to the wounded and she stands before the wounded tents for a long moment. Her eyes flash with rage before she raises her hands and begins twisting her fingers to cast a mass healing spell she used years ago. Darkspwan don't heal, and she keeps it going until the last refugee is fully healed. Then she lowers her hands and steps back, turning away to speak to the only Mother present. Her mana is barely touched. 

Next the group makes its way north- closing rifts and killing demons. They come upon a pack of wolves with glowing eyes and she casts a Cleanse over them. The wolves then retreat west- away from the farm. 

Denett sees her and welcomes them in. She makes arrangement for the towers to be built and marks the Rifts and wolf den on her map before closing the rifts on his property. He gives each of them a horse and she shakes her head when he offers her a mount. 

He follows them to the stables and whistles at the majesty of her Salah. 

Salah is six foot at the shoulder, with a body perfect in a heavy cavalry warhorse- because that is what he is. His hooves are feathered and his mane braided in a Dailish way, the only tack on him a padded blanket with a girth. 

"He's a Wardens Heavy Charger." She tells the Horsemaster with a smile. "The only survivor from Ostagar." She whistles a tune to her Salah from a few meters away and he tosses his head at her, snorting as he trots forward to greet her. "The temperament of Mabari, this one." She feeds him a treat and calls to her companions to tells them the good news. 

 

 

Word of another Warden nearby comes-Strange, she hadn't sensed him- and they arrive in time to help save the recruit boys from bandits. The Warden Blackwall doesn't have the Blood in him. She can't feel him like she can other wardens and Darkspwan. She stares at him for a long moment- His mark is black, and long faded. Like her own. She gives him a knowing nod when his eyes widen at her own. 

"I am too tired for this." She lowers her staff and plants a hand on Hounds shoulder before asking if he would join the Inqusition. He is in awe of her- she who leads the Wardens. 

 

 

She leads the way with Hound into the wolf cave, sword in hand and on her toes. The first wolves come with glowing eyes and she hits them with a cleanse as she had the others. Deeper in the cave is a demon. They kill it- and sadly most the pack, to her cargin. She is sorry to kill them. Her Dailish blood boils as she says the prayers for them under her breath. 

One of the deeper caves has a den- one pup of five still alive, their mother rotting at the mouth of the cave. She picks it up and summons water for them- they are thin, and probably two weeks old. Their eyes should be open by now. 

She is dark red like his mother, and she marvels at her green eyes. She puts the small pup in her scarff at her chest and calls to Hound, who snorts at her but accepts the puppy with little sass. Salah sniff at the tiny bundle and tosses his head at her sassily before letting her mount. She had ignored Cassandras warnings until finally the woman grabs her arm. 

Hound snarls like the wardog he is and Salah paws the ground. The Seeker yanks her hand back as lightning coats the Wardens armor to shock her. Sabrae turns to the Seeker and raises an eyebrow. 

"It is a wolf, Herald. You cannot train them as dogs!" Cassandra insists is, motioning to the pup at her chest. 

"And have you ever seen a Dailish camp, Seeker?" She curls her lip. "We do not have wolves or dogs. We have companions." 

"Ones that could kill you at the slightest misstep!" Cassandra shout it, hands thrown up. 

"And people are any better?" That brings the woman to a dead stop. "I have been betrayed by more people than animals, Seeker Pentaghast. Do not call me Herald again." She turns away and mounts her horse, the others doing the same. Hound stays between the Seeker and Mahariel for the rest of the trip.


	4. What fun.

They ride into Haven victorious. Mahariel dismounts Salah and sends him as he will. The pup is wrapped in her scarf again. She is met by the advisors, who all watch her pull the red wolf pup from her scarf in surprise. She flops it into Lilianas hands without ceremony, informing her that this is hers now. 

She tells them on the way inside all that they had achieved in the Hinterlands, and that they have more people on the way. A cult- Liliana and her roll their eyes at the same time as Cullen protests any more mages. 

"If you have forgotten, Commander, it was a Mage that saved the world from the Blight. It was a Mage that saved Kirkwall from the Qunari, and then Merideth. It is a Mage that is going to close the sky. So, yes, Cullen. I reqruited a few mages." She is exasperated and tired, Hound gives one deep bark and Liliana looks her over closely. 

"Why didn't you tell me you where sick, May?" Lily asks her sternly, walking forward and putting her hands over her friends cheeks. 

"I've been sick sense the beginning, Lily flower." She pulls away gently. "I am just tired, is all." Hound whines. "Anything else of importance before I sleep for two days straight?" 

 

 

 

 

"Warden Commander!" Comes a scout as they cross the bridge. Mahariel turns to look at the other elf, who pants a moment before speaking again. "A man here to see about his company joining up." 

"Bring him here." A nod and the elf takes off. Twenty minutes later she is sharpening her sword as she waits, the man coming up beside her. His shadow is kind, wide and has horns. She pauses and looks up at him before smiling. She is gathering another slew of misfits, it would seem.

"The Iron Bull, Captian of The Bulls Chargers." He tells her with a look over. His eyes pause on the words on her collarbone, then the dark blue lines on her face. "We wanted to join up."

"Well, The Iron Bull, what can your people do." He gives her a long list, and detailed past jobs. She listens closely. 

"But you're not just getting the boys. Your getting me. Frontline bodyguard. Demons, Dragons? The bigger the better." She nods and smiles, making note of the Tevene words over his left pectoral. It is still pale. How fun.

"Also, one other thing. You ever heard of the Ben-hasrath?" She stiffens her back and steps backward from him fast, eyes flickering from him to those around them. She knows exactly who that is. "Well, I'm what's called Hissrad. They want to know what's going on down here, and to keep an eye -" 

"Sten sent you." She says it plainly, and he watches her brush her hand over her ribs. Another Mark? "But, he is Arishock now, is he not." 

She motions for him to follow her and shakes her head at her silly Bonded. She rolls her shoulders back and whistles to Hound- who gallops to her from the direction of the kitchens. The Iron Bull follows the much smaller elf woman out of Haven. His Company watch from the edge of the lake as she leads him towards them. 

"Well Boss?" Asks one man with a heavy looking mace. She finds him handsome, and smiles at him before looking over the rest of them. 

"Talk to Ambasador Josephine for payment arrangements, The Iron Bull. Settle your Company in where you can fit them. Send your... Extra archers to Harriet for repairs if needed." The while haired woman clicks to Hound as she turns to the Forrest around Haven. "You are free to hunt the area if you like. Drufflo wander the eastern valley." 

Hound trots ahead as she disappears into the trees on silent Dailish feet. Krem whistles and gets shoved by Dailish before Bull smiles at his people and leads them in. 

 

 

 

She streachs her legs out and ruffles her silver and white fur, big paws sinking into snow , Hound beside her as she trots through the woods with little purpose. The Mabari is in his armor, and so is she- made and Enchanted to shift as she does long ago. She has many forms now- a rat was small and not made for war. A mabari was next, then a cat. A bear, an owl, a hawk, a spider, a sparrow, a wolf and finally a Halla. One other- one that boils under her skin, heats her blood, and fills her soul with untameable fire. Only used twice, to great affect. But never again. 

 

She makes her way back to Haven with care, pausing in front of the gates to wait on Liliana. The Spymaster walks out of them and ruffles her ears, her pup trotting at her heels. She trots beside the redhead into the village and Shifts to talk strategy. She ignores the awed silence that follows.


	5. Collecting Pieces

The crowd moves out of her way as she walks to the platform. The Mother falls silent at the sight of her who slayed an Archdemon. No one here will test her resolve. She saved them all once before. 

"We fight to close the Breach, and every Rift that tears our world asunder." She turns to the crowd, voice strong, arms crossed and feet apart. Steady. "Who are you to not do the same?" 

"Heratic!" Comes the Lord Seekers voice, and she feels the thrill through both the Fade and her Mark as he comes closer. A Demon hides itself inside him. She draws her sword as a Templar punches the Mother, and in one motion she has him at sword point. 

"Reveal yourself, Envy." She snarls at the thing. He grows in size and his men real back at the sight. She moves just as fast, plunging her sword into his neck as it finishes its transformation. She cleaves its head from its shoulders in one swing. The crowd gasps as she grabs it from the wooden planks. It is not the first Demon she has killed that uses another's face to command men. She turns to the crowd in all her Dailish, Mage, Warden glory. 

"This is what happens when the watchers are left unchecked. The is what happens when you tell thousands of people they are evil for something they cannot help. Demons walk among you." She throws it to the Mothers feet and turns to the Templars now. "Join the Inquisition, help us close the Breach, and take up your rightful cause!"

"We will follow, Warden Commander!" And the once bloodthirsty crowd cheers. She walks back to her companions and leads them to the bridge again. A boy walks to them with purpose and she sense his Compassion. They have met once before. She smiles. Sweet Da'len. She opens her arms to him and he lowers his head and accepts her embrace. 

"And who is this, Warden?" Cassandra asks pointedly as she puts her arms around his waist and continues walking. 

"This is my spirit of Compassion." She doesn't pause as the Seeker freezes stiff. 

"A spirit is not a Demon, Seeker." She says over her shoulder as she mounts up onto Sahla. 

"Is he like Anders?" Varric asks once on his own horse- a stocky thing he named Rocks. 

"They where confused. Two in one is too many to keep seperate, and Justice was changed by emotions a Spirit is not ment to feel." Compassion says, sitting behind her on Salah. "All he wanted was Compassion, in the end. Then he left, and I was left inside. It is strange." 

"Come on. We stay in the Alienage tonight." Solas nods at the decision , the first to follow. 

 

 

Sera stares at her. She glances back at the rowdy Jenny to catch her, and the girls eyes avert fast. Mahariel rolls her eyes and slows Salah down to walk beside the girls horse. 

"You have questions, Sera." And she gets a curled lip. 

"Okay, it goes like this, yeah? You live Wild elf style, you get sick. You go all Wardeny, you go on an adventure. Dead Darkspwan here, dead Archdemon there- boom, Warden Commander. Then the humans up there make you Hero, Yeah? And you live happily ever after." Mahariel smiles softly at the last line. "But you can't! Beacuse a evily evil prick rips a whole in the sky and then you Glow, Yeah? And now you have to do this all over again."

"One day, someone will sum up your life, and it will be a foot note in history that a scribe misspells." She knows she has every companions ear now. "Do you know who told me that?"

"An Ass." Varric supplies. She bursts into laughter and shakes her head. Hound barks snidly and her companions wait avidly as she calms back down. 

"Flemeth told me that. The witch of the wilds." The silence that follows is heavy. "Lets get back to Haven." The rest of the journey is strangely quiet.


End file.
